Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel Current Affairs

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved construction of 4.531 km long 2-Lane Bi-Directional Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel in Uttarakhand as part of ‘Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana’. The project will come along NH-134 (old NH-94) in Uttarakhand and will be built under Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Mode.

Key Facts

The 4.531 km long bidirectional tunnel will have escape passage including approaches on Dharasu-Yamunotri section between Chainage 25.400 km and Chainage 51 km in Uttarakhand. The construction period of the project is 4 years. The total project cost is Rs. 1383.78 crore inclusive ofcost towards Land Acquisition & Rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities as well as Maintenance and Operation cost of tunnel for 4 years.

The project will be implemented by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), through National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL). NHIDCL is wholly state owned company, established in 2014 for development of highways in states on the international borders.

Significance

The construction of this tunnel will provide all weather connectivity to Yamunotri, one of dham on Chardham Yatra. It will encourage regional socio-economic development, trade and tourism within country. It will reduce travel distance from Dharasu to Yamunotri by about 20 km and travel time by about hour. It will save number of trees that would have been required to be removed in road improvement if original alignment had been followed.

Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna

Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna project aims at improving the connectivity to Char Dham pilgrimage centres in the Himalayas, making journey to these centres safer, faster and more convenient. It includes developing 900 km of national highways in Uttarakhand at total cost of Rs. 12000 crores.

The entire length of highways under it will be two-laned with paved shoulder and with minimum width of 10 metres. It will also have tunnels, bypasses, bridges, subways and viaducts to prevent traffic bottlenecks. Environment friendly techniques are being incorporated in design to make the route. It will also have wayside amenities and public facilities including parking spaces and helipad for emergency evacuation.